Signaling device



l. M. CBLE AND BL McKINN EY. sicu/ums bevlcs. Arme/mon man 19u: is, |920.

Patented May 17, 1921.

2 skins-SHEET 1.

l mmm I. M. CULE AND B. MCKINNEY.

SIGNALING DEVICE. y APPLICATION FILED JUNE I8, |920. 1,378,584, y Patented May 17, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 a j O06 1 UNITED-STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

Isrnon M. COLE AND BURRVMcKrNNEY, or INDIANAroLrs, INDIANA] l SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 17,1921. i

Application led .Tune 18, 1920. Serial No. 389,839.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that we, IsiDoR M. ConnV and' BURR MCKINNEY, citizens of, the United` It is also our purpose to provide an im-V proved device of this character into which a standardtype of clock canbelncorporated as one of its elements with a minimum amount of'additional equipment, which willl be highly eflicient in use, and in which the parts can be manufactured and installed at a relatively small cost. v

We will describe our invention in the best form known to us at present and as associated with a steam whistle signal, but it will be apparent that the same is susceptible to association with various types of signals for their-efficient and'correct operation and that the arrangement, construction and forms of the various parts are capable of being changed with the exercise of only ordinary mechanical skill and without departing from thescope of the invention as -set forth in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detailreference will be had to the accompanying' drawings wherein like characters of ref- @rence denote corresponding parts inthe several views, and in which` Figure 1, is a diagrammatic view of our improved clock control ,signaling device, the signal operating mechanism being disclosed in end View;

Fig. 2, a plan view ofthe signal operating mechanism partly'in section;

Fig. 3, a side view of thesignal operating mechanism; Y

Fig. 4, a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5, a fragmental side view of the clock element'of the device.;

Fig. 6, a front view Vof what is shown in Fig. 5; f

Fig.

7 ,a sectionon the line 7--7 of Fig. 6;-and

8, a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6., Referring to the drawings A indicates generallyV the controlling clock of our device which may be of any standard make andV operated either mechanically or electrically and which includes the usual dial vface 10, hour hand 11, minute hand 12.and an hour hand arbor 18 all of well known arrange-` ment and construction.

In carrying our invention into practicewe fix on the hourfhand arbor a disk 14 of insulating material located preferably directly behind the dial face 10 as shown in Fig. 5. This disk 14 has embedded in its front face a distributer ring 15 which is electrically connected with `contacts 16 projecting from the periphery of the disk and.

socketed radially in the latter. The body of each contact 16 carries a medial metallic strip 17 which is electrically connected to the ring 15 by a screw 18 as will be obvious. During the rotation of the disk 14 in unison with the hour hand 11 these contacts are adapted to successively enter into momentary engagement with a circuitterminal 19 mounted on the frame of the clock and having a flexing contact point 20, which is tensioned bythe engaging contact so as to render certain and positive an effective momentary electricaliconnection between the terminal 19 and contact 16. "Io allowV quick disengagement of the flexed point 20 from the strip 17, as shown in Fig. 5,- andthereby prevent arcing we cut each contact away sharply as at 21V so that the point 2O can move quickly to normal .position immediately it becomes disengaged from the strip 17 byV movement of the disk 14. It will be apparent that the number of contactsl may be varied according to the numberfofperiodical operations at the signal .desired and it will also be apparent that these contacts 16 are placed around the periphery of the disk 14 so .as to bear a definite relation toV i cuit terminal 21 which includes a spring' projected contact 22 always in engagement with thevdistributer ring 15. From the foregoing it will be apparent that any electric circuit having the terminals 19 and 21 will. be normally open and closed throughthe distributer ring 15 when the contactpoint 20 engages the metal strip 17 as the result of rotation of the disk 14 in unison with the hour hand 11. y

Our inventionfurther embodies a signal operating mechanism adapted to be actuated initially by the closing of an electric circuit effected by connecting the terminals 19 and 21by-the contact linger 20, contact 16, ring 15 and contact 22 in the*V manner heretofore described; the continued actuation of such mechanism for lone 'cycle being Aaccomplished by closing` another circuit in amanner to be presently referred to. rlhis signal operating mechanism can be disposed in any desired location, preferably near the signal to be operated,and is `shown' as comprising an electric motor 23 having a motor shaft 24 which is disposed in axial alinement with a shaft 25 rotatably and slidably mounted on a bearing bracket 26. The shafts 24 and 25 are clutched together by means of a disk 27 of relatively soft metal' such as brass or bronze fixed on the shaft 25 and a disk 28 of relatively hard metal, such as steel fixed on the shaft 24. The bearing pressure of the ldisk 27 against the disk 28 is.determinedby the compression of a spring 29y housedv in Van extension 30 of one of the bearings of the bracket 26, which extension is closed by a cap 31 in which a compression screw 32 is threaded and through the instrumentality of which latter the coinpression of the spring 29 may be adjusted and thereby the pressure of the disk 27 against the disk 28. The clutching action afforded by the engagement of the relatively hard metal of the disk 28 with the relatively soft metal of the disk 27 is such that the parts of the mechanism operated by the rotation of the shafts 25'will not be subject to sudden shock and too quick starting. Disposed adjacent the bracket 26 is another bearing bracket 33 in which is rotan n tably mounted a shaft 34 having its axis of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft 24 and 25. Fixed on one end of the shaft 34 is a gear wheel 35 which meshes with a pinion 36 fixed on the shaft 25. @ne of the spokes of the wheel 35 is provider with a radially disposed slot 37 in which is slidably adjustable a member 38. Secured to this member 38 is one end of a connection 39 and the other end of this connection is shown secured to the valve operating arm 40 of a signal whistle 41. By this construe tion it will be apparent that when the motor 23 is `operated the gear wheel 35 will be rotated and the consequent movement of the menil er 38 acting through the connection 39 will in turn operate the valve arm 40 to blow the whistle 41; lit will of course be understood that the valve controlled by thefarm 40'is of the spring type and is maintained normally closed so that when one complete revolution of the gear wheel 35 is' made said valve will automatically close.- lin other words the operation of theV whistle 41 will be effected for a predetermined yperiod by each rotation of the gear wheel The amount of movement transmitted to the arm 40 can be controlled by adjusting the meinent that the type of signal can be varied as desired and that 'the connections between the signal and the wheel 35'can bearranged in various ways to suit the particular` conV ditions4 to be met. n

We will now describe the various electrical connections between the terminals 19' and '21 and the motor 23. Fixed on the end of the'shaft 34 remote from the wheel. 35 isa disk 42 of insulating material which has embedded in its outer face a split disti'ibuter ring 43 forming between its ends a cut-out 44. It-will be observed that by mounting the disk 42 on the shaft 34 said disk 'will make one revolution for every revolution made by the gear wheel 35. This disk 42 is provided with a metallic hub por-- tion 45 which is connected with the ring 43 by a conductor 46. Mounted adjacent'the outer face of the disk 42 is a bracket 47 which carries va contact 48 disposed at its upper end and in position to engage the ring43 during rotation of the disk 42. The bracket 47 is provided with a lateral arm 49 the free end of which carries a Contact 50 also adapted to engage the ring 43 as the disk 42 rotates and likewise engage the cutout portion 44 of the disk at one period in the rotation of the latter. This cut-out 44 is engaged by the contact 50 when the disk is at rest or in its normal position. Another contact 47 is carried by the bracket 47 and constantly engages the metallic hub portion 45 of the disk 42. The feed lines of our signaling device are indicated rat 51 and 52 and are connected respectively with switch terminals 53 and 54 of a switch 55.

rThis switch Valso includes terminals 56 and 57, the former being connected to the ter` minal 21 by a conductor 58 and to the contact 50 by a conductor 59. The switch point 57 is connected to one pole of the motoin 23 by a conductor 60, while the other pole of said motor is connected to the contact 47 by the conductor 65. The terminal 19 is connected to the contact 48 by a conductor 61 which at one point forms a coil for a magnet 62 adapted when energized to operate a pivoted armature in the form of a gravity latch 63 which latter coperates with a stop 64 on'the disk 42 to prevent rotation of the disk 42 at the termination of each cycle of operation of the signal operating mechanism that would tend to moveV said disk to a position that would bring the contact 50 into engagement with the distributer ring 43.

Assuming that the switch 55 is closed with respect to the feed line conductors 51 and 52 it will be apparent that when one of the contacts 16 is engaged with the contact finger 20 by rotation of the disk 14 a circuit will be closed through the conductor 58, terminal 21', contact 22, distributer ring 15, contact 16, terminal 19, conductor 61, contact 48, distributer ring 43, conductor 46, metal hub portion 45, contact 47', conductor 65, motor 23 and conductor 60 which circuit is directly controlled by the clock mechanism heretofore described and is termed a secondary circuit. As soon as this circuit is closed the magnet 62 is ener gized and attracts the latch 63 to unlocked position with respect to the sto-p 64 so that the disk 42 is then free to rotate as a result of the operationA of the motor 23. At the same time the closing of this secondary circuit in the manner referred to operates the motor 23 to actuate the signaling device 41 in the manner heretofore described. It will now be observed that the engagement between the terminal 19 and the contact 16 is only momentary due to the constant movement of the disk 14 and provision must be made for maintaining the motor 23 'in circuit if any appreciable operation of the signal 41 is to be had. This is accomplished by reason of the fact that as soon as the motor 23 begins to rotate a like condition is established with respect to the disk 42 and while the secondary circuit is still closed suflicient rotation is imparted to`the disk 42 t0 bring the, contact 50 into engagement with the distributer ring 43. When this condition arises a circuit is closed through the conductor 59, contact 50, distributer ring 43, conductor 46, metal hub portion 45, contact 47', conductor 65, motor 23 and conductor 60. This circuit we term the primary circuit and its closure is maintained by the connections just described until the disk 42 and wheel 35 have made one complete revolution which will again cause engagement between the contact 50 and the cutout 44 to automatically open the primary circuit. In the meantime the secondary circuit having been broken by the movement of the disk 14 the magnet 62 has become denergized and the latch 63 is moved by gravity to a position to be engaged by the stop 64 and thus positively stop rotation of the disk 42 while the contact 50 is in engagement with the cut-out 44. Thus it will be obvious that the normally open status is restored to both the secondary and primary circuits after the signal actuating mechanism has completed one cycle of operation. When another contact 16 on the disk 14 engages the contact finger 20 the operation just described will be repeated. i

We claim- 1. In an electric program clock, a disk of insulating materials Xed on the arbor of the hour hand of the clock, a distributer ring seated in the disk with its outer periphery in spaced relation to the periphery of said disk, a plurality of radial contacts carried by the disk and electrically connected with the distributer ring, said radial contacts projecting beyond the periphery of motor, a rotatable shaft operatively connected with the motor, a pinion on said shaft, a gear wheel meshing with thepinion,

a member carried by and adjustable radially of the gear wheel, a connection between said member and signal whereby the rotation of the gear wheel will operate the signal, clock controlled means for closing the motor circuit, and means operated by the motor for breaking the motor circuit when the gear wheel has completed one revolution.

3. In a. clock controlled signaling device, the combination of a signal, an electric motor and its shaft, a normally open circuit for the motor, a rotatable shaft alined and frictionally connected with the motor shaft, said rotatable shaft being mounted for longitudinal movement in its bearing, adjustable spring means acting longitudlnally on the rotatable shaft to intensify and diminish the frictional comiection between said shafts, connections between the rotatable shaft and said signal whereby the rotation of said shaft will operate the signal, clock controlled means for closing the motor circuit, and means operated by the motor for breaking the motor circuit at a predetermined time.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures 1n the presence of two witnesses.

ISIDOR M. COLE. BURR MGKINNEY. Witnesses:

O. B. BALLANTINE, B. J. I'IIBBITT. 

